Sylvester Stallone may have played some of Hollywood's toughest characters, but his next challenge sounds like it could hit his wallet harder than any opponent in the ring. The Rocky star, 80, joked that he cannot afford to retire just yet as he prepares to help cover the cost of daughter Sophia Stallone's upcoming wedding.
During a recent appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, co-host Kelly Ripa asked how much he was "gonna pony up" for the big day. "Oh, man, it's almost embarrassing to say - but I can't retire," Sylvester replied, sending the audience into laughter.
"I can't retire. I'm serious!" he insisted.
Thankfully, Stallone seems to approve of the man who could be making a dent in his retirement plans. He called Sheehan "a great guy" and revealed that he had asked for his blessing before proposing.
"He actually asked for her hand," Stallone said, prompting Ripa to joke, "He must have been terrified!" Mark Consuelos then brought up a classic Rocky II proposal line, asking whether Sheehan had essentially said, "I wanna know if you wouldn't mind if I married your daughter so much?" Stallone responded with another memorable line from the film: "I won't leave no hair in the sink," sending the conversation straight back to Rocky territory.
He also praised Sheehan for being "very confident" when he popped the question, recalling his own reaction: "I went, 'Wow, good luck, pal,'" he joked. "But my wife Jennifer Flavin had to be there to be referee."
Stallone and Flavin, married since 1997, also share daughters Sistine, 28, and Scarlet, 24. The actor has two sons from his first marriage to Sasha Czack: Seargeoh and Sage, who died in 2012 at 36.
Flavin once said Sophia shares a particularly close bond with her father. "Sophia is the love of his life," she noted during a previous interview discussing their family dynamics.
Fans across the globe have reacted enthusiastically to the news, flooding social media platforms with congratulatory messages for the couple and humorous memes about Stallone's expected wedding expenses. As preparations continue for the grand ceremony, insiders close to the family report that the wedding is expected to be a star-studded affair, bringing together major Hollywood names to celebrate the happy occasion.
Despite the steep costs and lighthearted complaints about his bank account, Stallone is undeniably thrilled to walk his daughter down the aisle and embark on this wonderful new chapter of family life.